My Van's oversize panel is 2.2" longer than the regular panel. In addition, because of all the handy factory bends incorporated into it, I ordered a spare brace that spans the width of the fuselage. Its the part the seat backs rest against. Using a small length of it, I fabbed up a subpanel for the control cables and that is attached to the main panel with 3 screws and nutplates. It can be quickly dropped out of the way for easy maintenance. I have no issues with knee clearance.

Rick6A,
What is the overall height of your panel, top to bottom, the main panel itself.
Thx

This next picture is the updated panel. Key elements are Skyview, Dynon D-6 backup EFIS, Dynon Com, GTN650 GPS/Nav/Com, Dynon Transponder and ADSB. I'm handling the audio through the Dynon intercom plus a couple of switches. So far this seems to work well. You will see that I moved the engine controls to the main panel and added a map (oops - now a lunch) box. I also added brakes to the co-pilot side and switched to a lithium based battery. There are no changes to the electronics busses or switches. I may add an IPad mount on the right side.

Motivation for the project was an RV12 I finished in 2012. I liked the Skyview and ADSB in the RV12 so much that I decided to update the RV6.

I am just getting it together - have done an engine run and weighed it. Still need to calibrate the fuel gauges and remote compasses and trouble shoot the fuel flow set-up which did not seem to work on the first engine run. So far everything else seems to be working. Weight came down 13 pounds, mostly due to the battery change.

I am just getting it together - have done an engine run and weighed it. Still need to calibrate the fuel gauges and remote compasses and trouble shoot the fuel flow set-up which did not seem to work on the first engine run. So far everything else seems to be working. Weight came down 13 pounds, mostly due to the battery change.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it does in the air.

Doesn't the weight of just the three gyro instruments and the vacuum pump come out to that amount before the battery is taken into account?

Gil, thanks for the comment. That is exactly my thought. I think we did proper weighings in 1999 and yesterday.

I have not done a detailed accounting. Some factors:
- The added right side brakes and Van's map box.
- Added mounts behind baggage area for ADAHRS, compass for the D-6.
- The ADS-B receiver, antenna and wiring - also behind baggage area.
- Added metal in the panel. It is the original panel plus perhaps a 70% overlay along bottom and entire mid portion.
- There is a lot of new wiring with the computer network system, a hub, etc.
- Back-up batteries for the Skyview and D-6 add something.
- I changed from metal to fiberglass gear leg fairings years ago and did not re-do W&B at the time, so maybe the plane was a bit heavier than I thought.

All that said, I was expecting perhaps another 10 pounds of reduction. Not a big deal but annoying. It is still a "heavy" RV6 - 1,092 pounds with 180 and constant speed. A few pounds one way or the other is not going to change that.

Originally they were on the vertical panel support as in the RV6 plans. I moved them to the sub-panel to improve access to beneath the panel for inspections, etc.

When I did that it was necessary to offset the sub-panel to the right for knee clearance because I have very long legs (6'4" and 36" inseam) . This drew comments from some of my larger passengers about interfering with their legroom.

With the new layout there was plenty of room to move them up, out of the way and back to the center.

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